Combined air cleaner and muffler



April 3, 1934. w. B. SULLIVAN 1,953,785

COMBINED AIR CLEANER AND MUFFLER Filed July 23, 1931 Patented Apr. 3,1934 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE COMBINED AIR CLEANER AND MUFFLERApplication July 23, 1931, Serial No. 552,705

2 Claims.

This invention relates to mufilers, and more particularly to muiilersfor air cleaners for the intake of internal combustion engines.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of new andimproved means for silencing the noise incident to the passage of airthrough the intake to the carburetor.

Another object of the invention is the provision of new and improvedsilencing device incorporated in a dust collector for the intake ofinternal combustion engines.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a new and improvedsilencing device for the intake for a carburetor that is simple inconstruction, inexpensive to manufacture, that may be easily assembledor disassembled, that is composed of a minimum number of parts, and thatis not likely to become bent or distorted or get out of order.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appearfrom the following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an internal combustionengine, showing the invention in position thereon;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the device;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

" Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

In internal combustion engines as at present constructed there is moreor less objectionable noise at the intake or carburetor during theoperation of the engine, especially at high speeds, due to the rush ofair in a continuous stream into the carburetor from the intake passage.

The principal object of the present invention is to remedy this defect.It has been found that if the direction of the air current be abruptlychanged or broken up immediately before the same enters the carburetorthis objectionable noise will be greatly lessened or in some caseseliminated or silenced altogether.

One form of construction for accomplishing this purpose, which is by wayof example only, will now be described. Referring now to Fig. 1 of thedrawing, the reference character 10 designates generally an internalcombustion engine having an intake passage 11 within which is mountedthe carburetor 12 as is usual in such constructions. Since the engine isof the usual or any well known construction, it need not be furtherdescribed.

The carburetor intake is shown. at 13, on which is mounted the combineddust collector and muflier device 14. This device comprises a casing 15having a passage through which air flows to the carburetor intake 13.

In the form of construction selected to illustrate one embodiment of theinvention, this casing comprises what for convenience of descriptionwill be termed an inner wall 16 and a side wall 17. The inner wall 16 isprovided with an opening 18 about which is secured a clamping member 19which is adapted to secure the casing to the intake 13 of thecarburetor. The clamping member has its ends extending radially forreceiving a screw 21 for clamping the same to the intake 13 for holdingthe casing in position thereon. The side wall 17 of the casing is shownas being tapered toward the front of the engine and is provided at itsouter edge with a cylindrical portion 22 which terminates at its outeredge in a flange 23 flared radially outwardly.

The connecting portion 24 of the casing between the wall 1'7 and thecylindrical portion 22 forms an annular shoulder against which a filterele ment or dust screen 25 is adapted to seat. The filter element issecured in position by any suitable means, as the spring ring 26 havinga radi- 0 ally outwardly extending loop 27 which is adapted to beinserted in an opening 28 in the cylindrical portion 22 and has its freeends provided with outwardly extending finger pieces 29 and 30 which areadapted to enter a slot 31 and seat in lateral extensions 32 and 33 ofsaid slot, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

The filter element 25 may be of any suitable or well known construction.In the form of construction shown, a plurality of wire screen diskmembers are secured together at their central portion by the shank 34 ofa handle member 35. The filter element 25 is adapted to be supplied witha thin filament of oil for removing the dust and other foreign matterfrom the air drawn through the same by the operation of the engine. Thismember is adapted to be cleaned and reoiled at intervals. In cleaningand reoiling the filter, the operator first removes the ring 26, whichmay be done by forcing the finger pieces 29 and 30 toward each other,and removing them through the slot 31, after which the filter member maybe removed by pulling outwardly on the handle 35. While still holdingthe handle the operator may dip the filter element in gasoline orkerosene for cleaning the same, and then after dipping it in oil it maybe replaced.

Suitable means are provided for abruptly changing the direction of theair passing through no the casing 15 in order to minimize the noiseincident to the air being supplied to the carburetor. In the form ofconstruction selected to illustrate one embodiment of the invention aplurality of partition members 36 and 37 are employed for this purpose.These partition members are provided with non-aligned openings wherebythe air in passing through the openings will have its direction abruptlychanged.

In the form shown, the partition members 36 and 37 which are in the formof disks for engaging the tapered side wall 17, are mounted in spacedrelation within the casing 15 posterior to the filter element 25. Thedisk 36 is provided with openings or slots 38 adjacent its periphery andthe disk or partition member 37 is provided with an axial opening 39.The partition members 36 and 3'7 may be provided with laterally andoutwardly extending peripheral portions 41 and 42 for engaging the sidewall 17 for holding the members in position within said casing, themembers 41 being adapted to engage the filter element 25 and the members42 being adapted to engage the partition 36 for holding the twopartitions in spaced relation.

During the operation of the engine, air will be caused to flow bysuction of the engine through the filter element 25, which will removethe dust and other foreign matter from the air, after which it will passthrough the peripheral slots or openings 38 in the partition 36 and thenflow radially inwardly and then axially through the central opening 39in the partition 37, and from thence directly into the carburetor.

While the slots or openings 38 are shown as being formed by removing aportion of the periphery of the disk between the spacing or peripheralportions or projections, and the disk is provided with a centralopening, it is understood that these openings forming passages for theair may be arranged in any other convenient staggered relation.

When it is desired to remove the bafiie or partition members 36 and 37it is only necessary to first remove the ring 26 and the filter element25, after which the bafiie or partition members may be removed.

The resiliency of the flanges or extensions 41 and 42 of the partitionmembers 36 and 37 is such that when these members are forced intooperative position within the casing 15 they will frictionally engagethe inner wall of said casing sufficiently to hold them in place topermit the removal of the filter element without being disturbed. Whilethese partition members are shown as being removable, it is understoodthey may be rigidly connected to the casing, if desired.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a casing having its side wall provided with a taperedportion and a cylindrical portion, a filter element within saidcylindrical portion, and a pair of disks having staggered openings,Within said tapered portion, and means for holding said element anddisks in position within said casing.

2. In combination, a casing having its side wall provided with a taperedportion and a cylindrical portion, a filter element within saidcylindrical portion, and a plurality of metallic disks within saidtapered portion, said disks having spacing members thereon for holdingthe same spaced from each other and from said filter element andprovided with air passages therethrough, said passages being alternatelyon the periphery and in the central portion of said disks.

WILLIAM B. SULLIVAN.

